1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to energy storage systems and methods for use thereof, and more specifically to health-aware control-based rechargeable batteries.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a highly desirable choice for energy storage, rechargeable batteries have an irreplaceable role in consumer electronic devices, electric/hybrid vehicles, renewable energy generation, smart grid and many other areas. For a battery, the charging process is fundamental to its performance, safety and longevity, and for the user, a primary factor that his/her satisfaction rests on. However, the existing systems and methods are hardly able to fulfill the expectations of charging a battery efficiently to near full capacity and with minimized harm to health. The pressing need for high-performance charging strategies has thus remained to date.
Popular charging methods in industrial practice, especially for inexpensive lead-acid batteries used for cars and backup power systems, are to apply a constant voltage or force a constant current flow through the battery. Such methods, though easy to implement, can lead to serious detrimental effects for the battery. One improvement is the constant-current/constant-voltage, which forces a constant current into the battery at first and then decreases the magnitude of current after a voltage threshold is reached. Charging using current pulses has attracted some attention in recent years, due to the benefits of improving charge acceptance, shortening charge duration and promoting life expectancy.
Such methods, however, suffer from limitations. First, their design, considering only current, voltage and state-of-charge, fails to take into account other significant information, e.g., state-of-health, constraint on charge time, and temperature. Second, they lack effective mechanisms to integrate the information sources and transform them into the best or most plausible decisions about charging. As an example, a pulse charger in its present form governs the charging process using at most some empirical rules, rather than adjusts the charging current dynamically, optimally on the ground of all available information. Therefore, an information-aware, feedback-control-based charging system is needed, with abilities to meet the user-specified time constraint, enhance the battery's performance and extend its life expectancy. Third, these methods exclude the user from the charging process. The user is not allowed to present their charging objectives based on the immediate situation or needs. This will cause inconvenience and even less satisfaction on the user's side
Heretofore there has not been available a system or method for rechargeable battery power storage systems with the advantages and features of the present invention.